"His ability to capture the movement, appearance and atmospheric impression of light instilled his paintings with a sensory command that has transcended time and place," he says.

While Turner's subjects included history, modern life and mythology, Brown says what really defines Turner's position in art history is his reinvention of the idea of what it meant to be a landscape painter.

The exhibition also includes works from the SA gallery, the Art Gallery of NSW and the National Gallery of Victoria.

It runs from February 8 to May 19, then travels to the National Gallery in Canberra in June.